“I’m coming with you, so you might want to hurry up with that interplanetary spell of yours, before the others sense my presence here,” Ramin replied.
We all stared at him for the better part of a minute, trying to wrap our heads around how we’d come to this point. “I don’t get it,” Claudia said.
“He’s coming with us.” Yuri repeated Ramin’s words. “And we need to take off, fast.”
“Then why are we still standing here?!” Claudia shot back. Without waiting for a response, she briefly kissed Serena’s cheek and took Yuri’s hand as they darted up the boarding ramp. Corrine wasn’t far behind them, followed by the remaining crew members who had joined us in the sanctuary.
“You’ll need my help to get through the safest entry point,” Ramin said, then motioned to the shuttle. “Please, go in. We’ll talk once we’re off Calliope.”
Kafei began her chant for the interplanetary spell. The pentagram had been drawn prior to the shuttle’s landing, and she’d already positioned all the minerals and herbs required for the swamp witch magic to work.
Derek and I hugged Serena and made our way into the shuttle, as well, joined by Ramin.
“Be careful out there!” Serena called after us.
“We’ll talk once we’re on our way back,” Derek replied.
Draven and Serena watched us go inside. Kafei continued her chant as she came up the ramp last. By the time it was closed and the shuttle was sealed and running, the young swamp witch apprentice had completed the interplanetary spell.
The crew watched us nervously as we introduced Ramin as a friend and ally. “He’ll be coming with us,” I added, offering them a reassuring smile.
We could see the world shift around us through the massive space-resistant windows. The light bubble swallowed the ship whole, and Draven and Serena moved back, as the spell took off. I held my husband’s hand. The others were strapped into their seats, neatly lined along both sides of the vessel.
“Here’s to a safe takeoff,” Kafei said, assuming her position at the front, with a full view of Calliope through the gigantic windshield as we got higher and higher. Computer systems were displayed in the corners, glimmering yellow across the glass and giving us real-time data on oxygen levels and other crucial information.
Much to our relief, none of Calliope’s Hermessi came after us. The spell ascended and eventually pierced through the atmosphere. Suddenly, we were in open space, and cosmos unraveled around us. Eritopia stretched on both sides in a soft arc, with clouds of pink stardust sprinkled along the outer border of the solar system.
Stars shone brightly, millions of light-years away. Below, Calliope shrank into a colorful marble with streaks of white and blue. I breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Ramin.
“Okay, we’re off Calliope now,” I said. “Tell us everything.”
The Fire Hermessi nodded, his flames crackling excitedly. He’d shocked us all with his involvement, but his assistance was more than welcome. He’d been to Yahwen, and he’d seen what sort of security Brendel had set up there.
If anyone could get us safely to the Hermessi children, it was Ramin. Fortunately, fate had finally dealt us a better hand.
Derek
Ramin stayed in the middle of the shuttle, far enough from everyone to avoid accidental burns. After all, he was made entirely out of fire—the purest in existence. The ship itself was made of thermo-resistant materials, every inch of it enhanced and strengthened by magic. But the people, whether witches or warlocks or jinn or vampires, were still vulnerable if not careful. And we were all saving our strength and energy for the mission.
“I spread the word among the remaining rebels,” the Fire Hermessi said.
The interplanetary spell shot through space at incredible speeds, aided by a small surplus of serium batteries, specifically added for this part of the trip. The In-Between’s oldest solar system was pretty far away, and we couldn’t spend the couple of days normally required to cover such a distance. Fortunately, the Stravian magi-tech had come in handy.
“About Yahwen?” Sofia asked.
“Yes. I managed to keep a faint connection with Harper after she and the others helped me. I was constantly on the move, but I could still reach out to her telepathically. That doesn’t work across greater distances, but it was enough for her to mention your determination to get to Yahwen. Shortly after that, I left Neraka in search of my rebel brothers and sisters. I found them, and they, in turn, had news from Tebir, your patron Hermessi,” Ramin explained. “Upon understanding your intentions, I simply couldn’t stand back. I know that place better than anyone, and I’m sure I can help you.”
“Oh, no one is denying that,” Corrine replied. “We were just worried about your presence on Calliope, where the Hermessi are simply dying to get a piece of you.”
“Not as badly as before,” he said. “Ever since I stripped Ledar of his powers, the ritual Hermessi were left with little to no options as far as I’m concerned. I’m always on the move, as well. It’s harder for them to track me like this.”
“And you said you have a good angle for Yahwen?” I asked.
The Fire Hermessi nodded once. “I remember that world. I know the stardust streams that Brendel controls, of which you must steer clear. She may be temporarily busy chasing down Taeral, but if she so much as gets a whiff of GASP presence on Yahwen, she will order her supporters to retaliate.”
We spent the next couple of hours discussing the mission and its navigation details, while Kafei allowed the spell bubble to take us to Pax-47, a small planet and the farthest one that GASP had reached during its space explorations. From there, she’d have to steer the interplanetary spell herself, but we were all behind her and ready to support her with whatever we could.
Ramin was incredibly helpful, telling us more about the rebel Hermessi—the hardliners who’d stuck to their mission, despite the fact that Brendel had taken their children; the slightly more neutral ones, like Wei and many others, who’d yet to pledge their allegiance to Brendel, but had ceased their opposition, too; the converted ones, who’d switched sides as soon as they’d been notified of their children’s abduction. The latter were the most important. Their numbers were big and encouraging for us, provided we managed to save their children and keep them safe.
“If we succeed on Yahwen, there will be dozens, even hundreds of Hermessi willing to switch sides and fight Brendel. They may not win, since she is so powerful and ancient, but they can certainly help keep her busy, while Taeral retrieves Thieron for Death,” Ramin said.
“What about the loyalists? What are the odds that we could sway them, as well?” Corrine asked, leaning into Ibrahim’s shoulder.
“Slim, at best, I’m afraid,” Ramin replied. “They’re fanatics, like Brendel. And I don’t see any of you threatening their children in return for their cooperation, like Brendel.”
The sarcasm was intended, and I understood exactly where he was going with this. Ramin was right, though. We never would’ve used anyone’s children against them. It was simply a vile thing to do, regardless of the endgame. There could always be a better way, if the goal was good or noble or true enough. Brendel knew that the ritual was an antiquated and horrible idea, yet she clung to it as tradition and stopped at nothing in order to get it done.
No matter what, we had to rise above that.
The hours went by, and we anxiously waited for the interplanetary spell to bring us closer to our destination. Sofia and I stayed close to Ibrahim and Corrine, Claudia and Yuri, and Mona and Kiev, while Ramin settled next to Kafei at the front.
It was mostly quiet, with the occasional conversation thread murmuring across the shuttle as people tried to kill the remaining time. It felt as though it was taking forever—but that was the downside of ardent anticipation. The more excited or anxious we were about getting to Yahwen, the slower we seemed to be moving through space.
Outside, it was peaceful and quiet. Mostly black and riddled with distant stars. We swooshed past a planet system or asteroid field every once in a while, but other than that, the vast expanse of space was muted and breathtaking. The In-Between was a beautiful place, home to so many incredible creatures and fascinating civilizations. What a waste, to burn it all to the ground, just to start again. What a crime, to kill so many innocent people, simply because ancient, made-up tradition required it.
I simply couldn’t fathom this level of determination coming from Brendel.
“What’s with you?” Sofia asked Claudia. She and Yuri had been rather quiet for the past hour. The last update from Nuriya had come a while back, placing Taeral and his crew closer to Zetos, apparently. We knew it wouldn’t be easy for them, especially since Brendel and even the local Hermessi were going after them.
